Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental interns in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has emerged as a global pandemic recognized by the World Health Organization. It has a significant impact on Saudi Arabia’s educational process, resulting in several universities suspending on-campus teaching, exams, and training. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on dental students’ examination, internship placement, and subsequent impact on preparedness and confidence. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to gather data from dental interns in Saudi Arabia using a pre-tested online questionnaire. Convenient sampling was applied to collect data from 5th September to 15th September 2020. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive data were presented as frequency and percentages. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the relationship between variables. RESULTS: Data of 409 dental interns from 8 dental schools reported that 209 (51%) participants’ exams were affected as the format was changed to online examination. 130 (31.8%) dental interns strongly agreed that assistance in hospitals during the outbreak of COVID-19 would complement their learning opportunities. Whereas 115(28.1%) respondents strongly agreed that dental schools’ measures to modify their curriculum were necessary. The impact of COVID-19 on dental intern preparedness discovered that the affected exams had a significant effect on final year students’ readiness to begin the internship (p = 0.042). Considering students’ confidence in starting the training earlier than expected, the student course had a statistically significant impact on their confidence (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that COVID-19 had disrupted dental interns’ preparedness towards clinical rotation and decreased their confidence performing in the clinical setup. Due to being unprepared and having low confidence, most dental interns were not ready to start working in the hospital before time.

The Effect of COVID-19 on Dental Education in Saudi Arabia

“…In contrast, online exams received a less favorable response, with only 29.9% reporting a positive experience. Interestingly, our findings align with Mohsin et al's study involving students from various Saudi universities [6] but differ from Moothedath's study in Kerala, India, where over 60% of students viewed online exams positively [13]. It is worth noting that our sample is primarily from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, while Mohsin's participants are mainly from King Saud University in Riyadh.…”

“…As dental education involves a high degree of practical skill acquisition, the implications of this enforced shift to online learning are particularly profound [6]. There is a question of how well virtual training can substitute for hands-on clinical experience, which is essential for developing the competencies required in the field of dentistry [7].…”

Exploring interrelationships of COVID-19 dimensions in Saudi Arabia: a systematic review

“…A study of dental interns reveals the impact of virtual leaning on preparedness towards clinical rotations and decreasing confidence affecting their study and work at hospital apart from patient management, cost of precautions, and psychological burden (Mohsin et al 2022 ;. Al-Qahtani et al 2022 ).…”

Analyzing Perceived Psychological and Social Stress of University Students: A Machine Learning Approach

“…Additionally, financial strain from job loss or reductions in family income has further contributed to students' stress and anxiety. Isolation and limited social opportunities have also taken a toll on students' mental health, leading to feelings of loneliness and depression [ [9] , [10] , [11] ].…”